Bring back a fully functional VBE (visual basic editor)
We need to import .bas files containing macros prepared in Office 2011and cannot do it.

We definitely understand the need here and really appreciate the feedback! Some of this work is already in progress, and we are continuing to investigate.
21 comments
-
Den commented
And, please let us save docm files after we run the macros --- not something that works well in v 16.24
-
Ramit Arora commented
Fully functional VB Editor was released in October 2017. You can use Tools>Macros>Visual Basic Editor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KkjwQkKVO4 -
Jason Sweeney commented
It's now April 2018 -- Any updates here Microsoft?! I'm a lawyer, rely on functionality of numerous custom macros triggered by buttons on custom toolbar in Word for Mac 2011, now am trying to upgrade to Word for Mac 2016 and can't seem to add macro buttons anywhere to anything in Word for Mac 2016. Unbelievably pathetic.
-
John_461 commented
Just checking in on this ONE YEAR year after the Word Product Team marked this as "Started."
It's now Jan. 30, 2017, this feature was first requested on Nov. 5, 2015, and the last word from Microsoft was Jan. 29, 2016.
I do not see any appreciable improvements in the Visual Basic Editor as of version 15.30.
Could someone please provide a status update?
Pretty Please?
All we're asking for is for Word Mac 2016 to have the same VBE features we had in Word Mac 2011. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only user who skipped Word 2008 entirely due to lack of macro support, and I would have done so again with Word 2016 if not for the misleading representations from Microsoft that VBA would be fully functional and supported in Word 2016 for Mac.
If Microsoft isn't actually planning to do anything about this, an honest answer to that effect would be genuinely appreciated compared to zero responses or updates.
-
R.L. Tauk commented
I can't believe people still take Microsoft seriously.
Vote with your dollars. There are other solutions out there. -
John_461 commented
Bueller...?
-
John_461 commented
What's the timeline on this? Alternatively, how many votes does a topic need to be taken seriously?
-
John_461 commented
Any updates? Getting nervous that last response from Microsoft on this was 9 months ago.
-
Brian T Koch commented
Why even release a new version if it is less capable?
-
Dr G commented
Really need upgraded VBA editor in Word/Excel 2011 for Mac :P
-
Alain S. commented
We have 100+ of lawyers using our software on Mac and we rely on the old VBA inside Office 2011 to connect to our database.
We need the full VBA engine with Custom Forms, Ribbon XML and a new HTTP control to make it level with our Windows version that is both VBA and Add-in based (for Outlook).
Outlook should fully support VBA on both versions, it would be simpler than to write add-in... -
Anonymous commented
allow users to install "visual basics for application "
-
RGeorge commented
Agree with this. Word MAC 2016 is not customizable as it should be and as the PC version is. This is not about a small start-up company that needs volunteers to help with software development. The feeling that I get is that MAC users are still seen as a group to whom the crumbs of new software are thrown while catering to the group that supposedly provides the most income. Microsoft: you probably should rethink that one for sure as there is an increasing number of MAC users who expect the same service quality. I place the responsibility at the feet of the developers who get paid to provide a quality product to their customers, not give them secondhand, unfinished fluff that is pretty and requires multiple numbers of mouse clicks to achieve what could be done much faster with the same features found in the PC version of this product. Just fix it...
-
Rich Michaels commented
This absolutely should be a top priority. I have measured that you can develop 4 applications on a PC in the time it takes you to develop 1 for Office 2016 for the Mac. This idea to write your program on a PC and then attempt to port it to the Mac must have been devised by either someone who has never coded a program before or has only done the most basic of single function macros. Anything requiring file I/O is a "friggin" nightmare.
-
Rich Michaels commented
So is a vote here for the unacceptability of releasing a product too early, before all features have been added? Or, does voting for this item mean that the VBE or "translate" whatever that is, needs to be of higher priority for improving?
It's an honest question because I would vote for the VBE being improved. Voting for improved decision making is a waste of time... no body thinks properly anymore!
-
Mr Blacksmith commented
I had thought of upgrading. Now I won't.
-
Shirley commented
My productivity has slowed down since my company upgraded to Office Mac 2016. We are now planning to downgrade to Office Mac 2011, much more complete.
-
Anonymous commented
I do not understand this situation since tools like a complete Visual Basic Editor or "translate" were included in previous versions. Office Mac 2016 should have the same tools of Office Mac 2011 or at least better design than the previous version.
Thanks to this new Word 2016 Mac my productivity is slowing down and is causing problems in my company
-
Anonymous commented
Me too. It's important to have this functionality. I do not know who has this version of Office Mac but it is clear that do not understand the importance of productivity. It' unbelievable!
-
Richard Preston commented
I'd make the plea much wider than the original and say that we need the VBE to be at a minimum as functional as that provided in Word 2011 (support for user form editing, debugging, etc.), which was no great shakes in itself with all sorts of inconsistencies between it and the Windows version in the object model, dire user form portability... Current advice to develop in Windows with a port to OS X is laughable and can't have been written by anyone who has actually tried to do this.
Many people have invested huge amounts of time in creating libraries of productivity-enhancing macro suites, and it's enormously frustrating not to be able to make these available across different platforms.